Waves of Influence
by shadowalchemist198
Summary: Sequel to Eternal Betrayal. Duo and Wufei are missing, presumed dead. Heero must learn what caused the giant rift between Sancuary and the ESUN. Waves on influence begin erupting throughout space. What will the changes bring on, and who is causing them?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Don't own much more than my manga collection (which does include 2 volumes of GW!!) XD

Prologue

June 30th, AC 202

The two teenagers watched in shock as the building erupted into a fiery hell. Both had seen the two Gundam pilots who had attacked the Prime Minister, and now they worried about the fates of the heroes. "Do you think they're alright, Gin?" the young woman asked the man next to her.

The young teen looked at her. "I don't know, Kin, but I don't think that they would just go out like that," he said. Kin wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm afraid, Gin. I'm afraid the world's going to fall apart."

----------

October 17th, AC 203

Hotaru swam deeper into the tank's branches. Unknown to many citizens of Sanctuary, the Angels could access almost every space inside the exterior of the colony, and down here, Hotaru had almost complete control of this sector. None of the other Angels would disturb her here in the secondary tank. Duo had made this place especially for her where she could look out at the stars. Here she could watch time in peaceful silence.

The silver-haired Angel slowed until she simply floated in the translucent liquid. She allowed her abilities to shift her surroundings, gently entering the realm of time. She watched the effects of important people ripple across the water-like surface she knew as time and history. The ripples caused by the three remaining Gundam pilots were small, almost insignificant. Three larger wrinkles ripped across time. She got 'closer' to the waves and noticed that one was actually two. They had nearly merged into one. She made a mental note to continue watching this particular pair of influences.

-----------

July 21st, AC 203

Heero walked into the empty house. It had been over a year since the owner had died, and no one had entered the building in nearly eight months. The Japanese man had avoided coming here since Duo's death, but pressure had forced him here today. He allowed the door to close behind him, but before it closed completely, he heard someone stop it.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Heero."

The Japanese man turned to look at the speaker. "Ran, what do you want?"

The woman looked hurt. "That's mean…"

"I want to be alone," Heero said, frowning. Ran shrugged.

"Duo's not coming back. Even if he survived, I doubt he'd willingly place himself under anyone's control. He would never put himself into any situation in which he had no control. Not after the project and especially not after the time he spent in her control during the standoff last year."

Instantly Heero's interest was peaked. "_Her_? Who is she?"

Ran shrugged again. "Everyone on this colony swore not to speak her name or ever discuss what she did to us. Even me. Milliardo as well." She turned to walk out the door. "Perhaps though, Duo planned for all of this to happen and left… clues for you to continue the work he left behind." The captain left.

Heero turned back to the interior of the house. Duo had left 'clues' to something that had caused an entire colony to swear never to talk about it. Heero wondered just what exactly it was, and he knew somewhere in the chaos that Duo had surrounded himself in hid clues to the mystery. He picked up a book and began to read.

----------

August 1st, AC 203

"You've been spending a lot of time on Sanctuary, Heero," Relena said, sitting down next to the man. "I would have expected you to want nothing to do with the colony that held you hostage for over half a year."

"People change, Relena," Heero replied. He wanted to be left alone tonight. He had found that most of the books in Duo's house had been modified to hold various portable computer drives. The deceased pilot had been a master at hacking and had built an even better encryption program. For the past three hours, after moving the files from the jump drives onto his laptop, Heero had tirelessly tried breaking through the strongest barrier he'd ever faced. Duo had built thirteen tightly secure levels, plus the barrier, and Heero was getting the impression that he was going absolutely nowhere by trying to hack into the system. Sighing, Heero gently closed the laptop. "What do you need, Relena?" he demanded.

Relena frowned. "That is not the way to speak to a woman, Heero. I thought you'd treat me with more respect now that that bastard was gone."

"Who would this 'bastard' be?"

Relena's eyes darkened suddenly. "He's no one." She stood up and left. Heero watched her retreating back. The Prime Minister disappeared into the crowd.

A couple of minutes later, Quatre sat down at Heero's table. "Miss Relena looked angry about something," the blonde said calmly. "I wonder what it was about…"

Heero allowed a small smirk to cross his face. "I wonder…" he trailed off. He opened the laptop again. He heard Quatre move his chair to look at the screen.

"An encryption program? It looks pretty advanced…" Quatre glanced at Heero. "I must know where you found something like this? Especially if you're having trouble with it."

"Duo made it," Heero said simply. "Seems he left some important information about Sanctuary behind."

"Sanctuary? I hope the captains are doing well."

Heero nodded unconsciously. "He must not have wanted many people getting into the system, though. The security's tight."

Heero noticed movement coming towards them from over the laptop. He closed it slightly again; he didn't want anyone seeing what he was doing. Two young people stopped at the table. "You two must be Heero Yuy and Quatre Winner. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Ukitake Kin, and this is my brother Gin," the woman said.

Quatre stood up. "I've heard about the Ukitake siblings. You work on L2, improving the conditions. I've been planning to send more supplies to those colonies."

The woman smiled softly. "The jobs your company has brought to L2 had done far more in the past six years than we have in less than a year."

Quatre thanked her for her compliment. The Ukitake brother sat down next to Heero. "I have something for you, Heero Yuy." He placed a jump drive on the table.

The Japanese pilot glared at him as Heero reached across the table to grab the small portable drive. "What is this?"

Gin stood up. He motioned for his sister to follow him. Kin said her farewells to Quatre and Heero, and the two siblings vanished into the mass of politicians, businessmen, organizational leaders, and other influential people. Quatre looked at Heero. "What did he give you?"

"I don't know," Heero said, connecting the jump drive to his laptop. The computer automatically transferred the files onto the hard drive. A program started immediately. Heero, caught off guard, desperately tried to stop the rampaging program. He seemed to succeed until the encryption program suddenly popped up. A log-in box appeared, and the username and password blanks filled themselves in at an impossible speed. The box disappeared.

"Password accepted," an animated voice said. "Welcome back, Shinigami. The barrier has been lifted. The necessary files have been uploaded into the hard drive. Please enter the correct password to disable the first level of security." Heero minimized the encryption program and opened his personal files. He was surprised to find a new folder. Clicking on it, it opened, revealing about a dozen documents. Heero opened the first one titled "ESUN 2-19-197".

Date: February 2nd, AC 197

Sender: Vice Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft

Recipient: Doctor Dominique Sohma

Topic: New technologies

I want an update on the project. I've invested too much into this for it to fail.

The two pilots were alarmed at the document, and Heero quickly selected the next file.

Date: February 7th, AC 207

Sender: Doctor Dominique Sohma

Recipient: Vice Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft

Topic: Re: New Technologies

The project is going well. Tests have been planned for the next month.

"We should look at the rest of the files in a secure location," Quatre whispered. Heero nodded and closed the laptop. The two pilots stood up. Both of them knew that Duo had left behind evidence of something that could destroy the ESUN.

----------

Hotaru felt the sudden surge of influence coming from L2 and L5. The waves were sharp and strangely familiar. She recognized who was causing the ripples. A smile crossed her lips. "There you two are…."


	2. Transfers

Disclaimer: Don't own Gundam Wing…. cries

Chapter 2

Underworld

October 23rd, AC 203

Heero walked into the large apartment the Preventors rented on L2-CR06. Only two of the other four Preventors were there at any given moment. They listened into conversations from a restaurant where Underworld leaders, even from the other colonies, were known to meet and discuss important events. One of the trained infiltrators had managed to get employed there during the first week of the mission. Her job got the Preventors a lot of information about Underworld dealings. However, neither the L2 nor L5 leaders had come to the restaurant in the past two months. "What do we have for today?"

The older of the Preventors looked up at their leader. "The owner of the restaurant seemed nervous today. Seems the L5 leader is coming to eat there tonight."

"That's good. Is Agent DeTemple working tonight?"

"Yes, sir. In fact, the owner wanted her to serve the leader."

"Excellent. We'll equip her with the contacts with a camera installed. Then, we'll get some pictures of the L5 Underworld leader."

----------

That night, the plan fell apart. The contacts malfunctioned, and no images of the L5 leader could be taken. However, the wire the young woman wore did work. Heero and the other three Preventors monitored all of the conversations occurring inside the restaurant.

The door opened and closed. "Welcome to the Landing, sir," the owner said calmly. "Kaylyn DeTemple will be your waitress tonight."

"Follow me to your table, sir."

"How long have you been working here?" a strange voice said.

"Only about two months, sir. It was an honor to serve the L5 leader."

"Well, sorry to tell you this, but Dragon had to attend important business on L5. He couldn't come today."

"Well, that's too bad. The food here is excellent."

"He sent us to keep the L2 Underworld under control."

Esther was silent for a while. She took their orders and brought them their drinks. Soon four other Underworld members came. "Fox and Dragon are meeting on L5 right now. I hear that the L1 Underworld has tried to instigate the L2 members still loyal to the old leader into a rebellion. Reinstate him."

"Fox is young, but he's got experience under his belt."

"There's no way this will end well."

"L5 has pledged their support for the L2 Underworld. Remember you're not alone in this."

----------

November 2nd, AC 203

Heero strode down the hall of the Preventors building. Commander Une wanted him in her office immediately. It naturally made him worry. He opened the door and walked into the office. "Agent Yuy," the woman began, "I want you to co-lead a raid on the L5 Underworld base with Agent Barton."

"The targets?"

"The L5 and L2 leaders."

"…Very well."

----------

November 6th, AC 203

The dozen Preventors pressed themselves against the wall, waiting for the signal to attack. They could hear the Underworld members talking inside calmly. There was no sign that the raid had been leaked.

Heero gave the signal, and the two pilots led the other ten Preventors into the house. "Preventors! Nobody move!" Trowa yelled. Heero noticed a few members escape out the back. "Heero, you're with me!" The two pilots followed the escaped Underworld members out into the night.

The fugitives had a large lead on the Preventors, and they moved quickly. Heero swore softly in Japanese when he saw them split into two groups. "Heero, go after the second group! I'll get the other ones!" Heero went east; Trowa went north.

Two of the fugitive members suddenly stopped and opened fire on the Preventor. Another couple kept running. Heero quickly dispatched the attackers and continued on after the two that escaped.

The chase lasted a few more minutes until finally Heero cornered the two Underworld members in a dark dead end. "Put your hands where I can see them!" he ordered.

"Get back, sir!" the taller of the two members yelled. He pushed the leader back against the wall behind some cover. Heero immediately shot the man. His head snapped back with the force of the bullet, and his body collapsed to the ground. Heero walked down the alley. He turned the corner to arrest the remaining fugitive.

"I wish you hadn't done that, Yuy." The voice made Heero pause. The fugitive sat on the ground, his hands in the air. The L5 leader wore a pitch black coat over traditional Chinese robes. Black hair was tied back into a tight ponytail, and obsidian eyes watched Heero's every move.

"Wufei…"


	3. Unspoken Rifts

Disclaima!!! I do not own GW!!! Though I really wish I did!!!

Chapter 3

Unspoken Rifts

November 8th, AC 203

Wufei returned the glare Heero was giving him. The two Asians were silent, but the tension was thick. Trowa forced himself not to shudder in the suddenly colder air. He stepped forward, wanting to break the silence. "Where's Duo, Wufei?" he asked. The Chinese man glanced at him.

"I don't know. Haven't seen him in a while. Being on different colonies and all." He closed his eyes.

Something in Heero must have snapped because the Japanese pilot launched himself across the table. Wufei, moving impossibly fast, caught Heero's fist. He pushed the chocolate-haired man down on the table. "I may be a prisoner here, but I'm still a goddamn Gundam pilot, Yuy!" the Chinese man snapped. "I could kill you if I wanted, but then he'd be angry at me…"

Wufei's cellphone rang. The L5 leader got off of Heero and answered it. "Wufei," he said curtly. He turned his back to the Preventors. "How are you feeling? Better?... That's good. Remember to keep taking your medicine… No, it wasn't the L3 Underworld. The Preventors caught me by surprise. One L2 member and three L5 members died in the raid… No, I haven't told them anything… Well, go to bed. I want you to rest… You want me home tonight? Very well. I'll be there in a few hours. Good night." He hung up. "He shouldn't push himself like this," Wufei muttered as he sat down.

"What is Duo planning?" Trowa asked.

"That is completely confidential."

"What do you mean _confidential_?!" Heero yelled angrily.

Wufei glared at him. "I swore never to interfere with Duo's plans. This time will be no different."

"You can tell us. Then you wouldn't be interfering," Trowa said calmly.

Wufei sat back in his chair. "It doesn't matter to me. I won't tell you anything."

"Will this be like the last time, Wufei? How long will you two disappear for?"

"No. It won't. We don't plan to vanish."

Heero glared at the Chinese leader. "How can we trust you?"

"You can't."

----------

Wufei pulled his coat off and placed it on the bed. He was used to harsh conditions, having participated in the war. The nanomachines in his body immediately picked up on the sudden change in temperature, and he shivered. He disconnected the Jump Drive from the shoulder holster. He'd allowed the Preventors to take his gun, but he refused to relinquish the small machine. Heero had given the Chinese man a glare like no other.

Wufei felt himself laugh when he thought about the look. Five years ago, no, not even one year ago, Wufei would have never laughed like that. Duo's influence had changed him; Duo had changed a lot of people.

The Chinese leader reached back and grabbed his shirt. He pulled it up. His skin bristled in the colder air. The nanomachines warmed up in response. Despite the changes the machines had brought him, Wufei still considered himself human while enjoying the benefits of the nanomachines. Wufei slid out of his pants and stood there nearly naked. He was by no means ashamed of his body, but it seemed that he was regressing in age to his late teens. Duo had told him that nanomachines established the prime of the host. Duo had stopped aging at about 20. The former captain had mocked Wufei mercilessly for a few weeks as his body changed. Wufei had returned the insults with ones of his own and managed to make Duo blush deep crimson, speechless.

The leader pulled on the sleepwear the Preventors had lent him. It was slightly uncomfortable, but he didn't mind it. He walked over to the bed and sat down. He made himself comfortable before he laid down and fell asleep.

----------

Wufei sat at the table, waiting for Heero and Trowa to get back from lunch. He had his own food to eat, but he was more worried about the person back on L5. The other leader had gotten sick after they'd found an illegal laboratory run by the Pure Humans Group and backed by the government. Over the past few days, he'd gotten worse, but now it seemed he was getting better.

The Chinese leader reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring. Duo had made them while they were still on Sanctuary. According to the former captain, the colonists on Sanctuary with nanotechnology had had chips inserted into their spine to relieve the physical stress caused by the machines. However, since Wufei had gotten his nanomachines through a blood transfer, he had no such precautions. Duo had gone deep into the colony's interior, cut out his own chip, and copied every little inch of it into the ring. Wufei had found him on the floor behind a secondary Angel tank covered in blood. The chip was placed back into the cut, and Duo recovered.

At first, Wufei was hesitant to wear the pure black and red ring, but after a while, his body began to ache. Duo practically tied him to the bed and forced it onto Wufei's right ring finger. "Just wear it for a few hours every day, and you'll be fine!" the brunette yelled at him angrily. "Otherwise, I'll superglue it to your finger, and everyone will say that you're too young looking to get married!" Wufei had glared up at the braided leader from the bed. "And I'll be the one with the matching ring!" Duo jumped back in time to avoid Wufei's retaliation. The L2 colonist ran out the door, laughing hysterically.

Wufei smiled at the memory. It had been only two weeks after the attack on Relena. The two pilots were hiding at an old safehouse from the wars, avoiding any physical contact with the outside world. It was simply too dangerous for them. The Chinese man slid the ring onto his finger the same way he'd been doing for the past year. He took a few deep breaths.

The door opened, and two men walked in.

----------

Trowa opened the door to the interrogation room. The conversation he was having with Heero came to an abrupt halt when both pilots saw the blood-stained room. "Get a medic!" Trowa heard Heero yell, though they both knew that there was no way anyone could have survived an attack this brutal.

"Wufei, are you in here?" Trowa asked. He avoided the blood as he walked into the room. The Chinese leader didn't answer him. Trowa examined the room for any sign of Wufei, but it was as though he'd disappeared. "Dammit all! How did he escape?!"

Trowa noticed a small necklace lying on the table. It had miraculously escaped the bloodbath unharmed. Trowa walked over to the table and picked it up. He recognized the locket and ring on the gold and silver chain.

Trowa's grip weakened from shock, and the necklace fell to the table.


	4. Freedom

Disclaimer! Bandai owns GW, not me! So don't sue me!!!

Chapter 4

Freedom

November 13th, AC 203

Trowa sat at his desk, watching transportation records for any mention of Quatre's whereabouts. Almost a week after the blonde's disappearance, there was no evidence that led them any closer to his captors, and Trowa was starting to lose hope.

An entry blinked suddenly. Trowa eagerly clicked on it.

"Fox is moving," an unknown voice said.

A group of people mumbled. "Is he going after the traders," another asked.

"Possibly. He's already lost one of his friends to them."

"I heard he sold him to them." The group laughed. "Very becoming of an Underworld leader."

"Make sure he doesn't succeed. By any means necessary."

The call ended. Trowa felt his eyebrows rise. Duo was up to something, and the rest of the Underworld was trying to stop him. Another entry lit up, prompting him.

"The L2 and L5 Underworlds are mobilizing. This is Fox's doing."

"Send his current location to the Preventors. Let the government take care of him, as well as Dragon."

"It would be easier to establish control of those two Underworlds if they were assassinated in private. We would be able to get our own men, or even the old leaders, in a position of power."

"True, but it would be easier to cover up our takeover if the Preventors took care of them. Get to work."

"Yes, sir."

A click signaled the end of the call. Trowa's telephone rang. The Preventor answered it. "You have a visitor, sir."

"I'll be down there shortly."

"Yes, sir." The secretary hung up. Trowa stood up from his chair and left his office. He ignored the looks of the other lower-ranking Preventors as he walked across the building to the elevators. Trowa pressed the down button. He looked around the office. He noticed Heero sitting in his office on the other side next to his own. The Japanese man was glaring at his computer. The elevator arrived at the door. It slid open silently. Trowa stepped in. He pressed the button for the first floor. The doors closed, and Trowa felt the machine move downwards.

It reached the first floor quickly, and Trowa got out silently. He walked towards the front desk. He was surprised to see Relena Peacecraft standing there. She looked completely normal with no bodyguards around her. He walked over to her. "Relena, what are you doing here?" he asked calmly.

The Prime Minister turned towards him. "Just the person I wanted to see," she said. "I have information concerning to your precious Quatre."

Trowa motioned for her to follow him. He knew that several other agents were staring at them, but he didn't care. He led the Prime Minister to the elevator. As they waited for the elevator, Relena turned to him. "What is it?" Trowa asked.

"Well…" she diverted her eyes expertly. "I get the feeling that something's caused a divide between Heero and I, and I don't think I can trust him this information. I can trust you, though, right?" Trowa nodded. Relena smiled. "That's good. That's good…" She looked away slightly. "This will be painful to hear, but my sources say that Duo was a key figure in Quatre's disappearance."

Trowa froze. "That… That's impossible… They were best friends! There's no way!"

"People change, Trowa Barton. That much is fact, and I'm afraid Duo may have changed for the worse."

----------

November 15th, AC 203

"All teams, move in," Heero ordered. The three groups of Preventors charged up to the front door and broke it down. They could hear people yelling inside. Trowa and Heero led the Preventors into the small house.

The Underworld members seemed to have vanished. Trowa noticed the similarities between the disappearances of Wufei from the Preventor office, Quatre from their home, and these Underworld agents.

"Upstairs!" Trowa yelled. The Preventors ran upstairs and encountered the first sign of resistance. Trowa and Heero ducked down; bullets hit the wall behind them. They patiently waited for the gunfire to stop before they dashed for the next safe haven. Both pilots dove through the open door just as the Underworld members started shooting again.

"Retreat! Make sure the three leaders get out!" a member yelled towards the back of the house. Footsteps stormed in the same direction, away from the Preventors. Suddenly the gunfire stopped again, and it didn't begin. Heero ran down the hall and kicked in the door to the far bedroom.

He swore loudly when he saw the empty room and open window. He ran over to the window. He saw a large group of people running down the alley. "Shit!" Heero hit his radio. "They've escaped out the back!" He jumped out the window. His legs screamed at him as they slammed into the ground. He ignored the sensation and took off running after the suspects.

It was obvious the group was familiar with the surrounding area as they led Heero on a long chase through winding streets and alleyways. However, the sudden Preventor attack forced many of the Underworld members into a panic, and they eventually ran into a dead end. Heero glared at the dozen Underworld members, especially the two familiar pilots. "Duo…"

The L2 leader froze. Heero could see that something was wrong. Duo's beautiful violet eyes were unfocused, and long, unbraided hair fell over his pale face. He wore loose clothes over his slender frame.

Suddenly four of the members pulled out their guns. Heero jumped behind a large dumpster. Bullets hit the metal side and ricocheted off.

Heero heard a pain-filled gasp and something hit the ground. The gunfire stopped, and Heero glanced out at the scene. Duo was on the ground, blood pooling around him. "You idiots! Don't shoot!" Wufei yelled angrily at the Underworld members. The Chinese man looked down at his friend. Duo wasn't moving. "Shit…"

"Preventors! Stop where you are!" Trowa yelled, running towards the group. Heero spun around. Wufei jerked back and down towards Duo's body. The Preventors stopped in front of Heero and raised their guns. Heero realized they were prepared to massacre the Underworld members if they even moved.

"Hold your fire!" Heero ordered. Trowa glared at the Japanese Preventor.

"What are you doing?!" he growled.

"I could ask you the same thing!"

"He had Quatre kidnapped!"

Heero snapped. "You have absolutely no proof of that!"

"Sirs!" The two Preventors turned towards the Underworld members. Wufei was bending down next to Duo. The other members moved to stand around them.

"Take him and get out of here, sir!" one of the members said calmly. "We'll cover your escape."

"Don't overdo it," Wufei answered as he lifted Duo up. He pressed a button on a device hanging from his belt. The two pilots vanished suddenly. The Preventors rushed forward. The other Underworld members hit buttons on their own machines and disappeared. Heero heard Trowa swear softly.

----------

November 16th, AC 203

Heero and Trowa walked into the laboratory. The scientist turned towards them. "Where did you get this blood?" she demanded.

"From a suspect," Trowa said calmly. "Why does it matter?"

"Well, your suspect should be dead. His immune system's compromised, and he's extremely anemic. He has to get medical attention immediately. Tell me you caught the guy!" Heero shook his head. "Jesus Christ!! He'll be dead before the end of the week!"

Heero froze. "That's… impossible! He's too strong to die!" he snapped.

The scientist shrugged. "That's what the evidence is telling me, Agent Yuy." She turned away from the two Preventors.

Trowa placed his hand on the Japanese agent's shoulder. "We should go. We have to find where Duo is. Then we should be able to find Quatre," Trowa said, stating the obvious.

Heero sighed. He knew that Trowa was right. The more they worked to find Duo, the closer they got to the other three pilots. Somehow, Duo was the key to finding the truth.

The two Preventors noticed a large group of people standing around the news room. They walked over to the back of the group. "What's going on?" Trowa asked.

The agent turned towards them. "That Winner guy is making an announcement." Trowa looked up at the screens. He could see the missing blonde sitting at a large desk. Quatre looked completely calm.

He took a deep breath before he began. "My name is Quatre Winner, owner of the Winner Corporation. I am also pilot of the Gundam Sandrock. I fought for this new government, as did four other young men, but now I'm afraid I can no longer support Relena Peacecraft and her crimes. I am formally declaring my alliance with the L2 and L5 Underworlds in hope that they can help bring a sense of true peace to this world." The announcement caused a wave of startled whispers amongst the Preventor agents. Heero and Trowa were frozen in place. The blond Arabian turned suddenly, and an Underworld member came into view. The man bent down and whispered something to the blonde. Quatre's face paled sharply. He stood up and disappeared from view. The camera shut off, and the screens filled with static. The Preventors separated, knowing that orders would be coming in to find the renegade businessman.

Soon, Heero and Trowa were alone in front of the televisions, too stunned to react. Heero recovered quickly; he knew what Quatre was accusing Relena of. Trowa, however, could not understand why his lover was doing this. Heero walked off, leaving Trowa behind.

The brunette turned and shuffled to his desk, dazed. He sat down quietly. He couldn't believe what was going on. His lover's rebellion against the ESUN government so shortly after his disappearance was almost too much for him.

His phone suddenly rang, catching the Preventor off-guard. He hesitated before he picked it up. "Agent Barton," he said as calmly as he could.

"Ah, Mister Barton," Relena said cheerfully. "I just heard about your precious Quatre's announcement. It seems Duo has been telling him such horrible things. They're lies, I assure you." The Prime Minister paused. "I want you personally to find Duo Maxwell and capture him. I'll make sure he becomes the most wanted man in the Earth Sphere. You just do your job, and Mister Winner will not be charged with treason with the excuse that he was manipulated by a very dangerous man."

Trowa's desperate mind latched onto the request. "I will be sure to find Duo. Just keep your end of the bargain."

"I will." He heard the call end with a sharp click. Trowa glared at the phone before he put it down. The Preventor sat silently at his desk, debating whether to betray his friend or protect his lover from political suicide.

The lure of saving Quatre was too overpowering, and Trowa began to hack into L2 colony records. He scanned every entry for any mention of the blonde or the braided leader, but Duo was smart and hid their tracks well. However, the communications between the other colonial Underworlds helped narrow where Maxwell could have fled to.

Trowa allowed himself to smirk slightly. Despite all of Duo's hard work, his enemies had led the Preventor straight to him, and right now, Duo, as well as Wufei and Quatre, was on L5. Trowa stood up and rushed out of the office.

----------

Heero looked up when he saw Trowa run out of his office. He knew that the brunette had found something dangerous. Heero reached over and picked up his phone. He quickly dialed a number that Duo had left him during the file transfer. "Hello?" the Underworld contact asked.

"This is Heero Yuy."

"Ah, Agent Yuy. How good to hear from you again… What can I do for you?"

"Duo, Wufei, and Quatre are on L5, right?"

"Yes, sir."

Heero sighed. "Get them to the HOLIC colony. Agent Barton is acting erratically. I'm worried that Relena's gotten to him."

"I'll be sure to get them moving, sir." The contact paused. "He wants to see you, sir."

"How is he?"

"He's recovering from his gunshot wound."

"Stay under the radar. The other Underworlds are tracking your movements."

"We'll keep that in mind, sir."

"Very well."

"We'll contact you once we're secured on HOLIC, sir." The contact hung up, and Heero put his phone down. He felt a little better knowing that Duo was safer, but his good mood was reduced by the fact that he betrayed the government and his friend. However, protecting Duo was more important to him than his friendship with Trowa. Heero returned to his work.


End file.
